The 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan: what's not to love?

It's impossible not to love a brand-new, fully accessorized car that you get to drive for a week without filling the tank.* This car has everything. Not only does the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan have more windows and more electrical outlets than my first apartment, it's bigger, too. Grrlfriend Jess is right to call this the ultimate milfvan. It not only has a Sirius navigation system and a gazillion or so radio channels, it's also got three kid-friendly satellite TV feeds- Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. I was craving a little PBS or something less mind-numbing, but perhaps if I'd taken a moment to figure out how to work the wireless headphones, it wouldn't have been an issue. The kids sure didn't mind.I loved the heated seats on our crisp fall mornings. Nothing like starting the day with fresh warm buns. Ahhhhh. And the self-stowing seats. And the middle row swivel seats. And the tailgate seats feature, the built-in flashlight, the table, the great internal LED lights- there is so much to love about this car!

One night while waiting for waiting for Smartypants and friend to finish up Hebrew school I set up mobile dining room/office in the back. What the car lacks in fuel-efficiency it makes up for in personal efficiency!

This van was definitely a head-turner. Everyone wanted a peek inside, though most declined my offers to drive it around the block. The only two negative comments I heard about it, and I heard these consistently, were about the lack of fuel efficiency and the fact that it's American made. Too many of us have been burned by American-made lemons. I know the Chevy folks are aware of this and I'm guessing the Dodge folks have a clue, too. Maybe that's why Dodge is offering a lifetime power train warranty?

This car has all the bells and whistles a parent could want, except the on-board mini-hand vac that I mentioned previously. It's definitely worth a look. Be careful if you take the kids car shopping with you. Once they step inside this van, nothing else will be good enough for them!

*Oops, apparently I was supposed to leave more than gas fumes in the tank, but I'm afraid that pouring $75 into car, might have affected my rosy outlook just a tad.

Edited an hour or two later to add: I just received a Border's gift certificate in the mail from the company that sponsored the promotion, Matchstick. Obviously, it was sent to me before my post was actually up. And I seriously had no idea it was coming. I'll pass it on to DH for tolerating my blogging habits.